US firm Coinbase has expanded to the UK, launching both its Bitcoin exchange and consumer wallet here today.

The digital currency startup said the move represented the first time that UK customers could buy Bitcoin directly in GBP, making it a viable way to pay for goods and services.

UK users can credit Euros (via SEPA), British Pounds and US Dollars (via wire transfer) to their Coinbase Wallet, to purchase Bitcoin from Coinbase or to trade with on the Coinbase Exchange. Currency pairs now available to trade on the exchange are BTC/USD, BTC/GBP and BTC/EUR. Consumers can sign up for the wallet or the exchange via the websites or iOS and Android apps.

Writing about the UK launch on its company blog, Coinbase said: “Our mission at Coinbase is to make payments more open and efficient around the world. This announcement is an important step, furthering that mission which will bring easy Bitcoin access to one of the financial capitals of the world.”

Coinbase went live with the first regulated Bitcoin exchange in the US at the start of this year, and lays claim to being the world’s largest Bitcoin wallet and merchant platform. The outfit has raised more than $106 million in investment, including a $75 million funding round in January, which featured backing from the New York Stock Exchange and BBVA banking group.

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